BizBash Best 2020 - 71

houston

Houston Tex-Mex institution Original
Ninfa's opened a new location in Blvd Place
in June 2019, in the space formerly occupied
by Peska. Owned by Legacy Restaurants, the
restaurant features a food menu helmed
by executive chef Jason Gould and a bar
program overseen by Linda Salinas. The
6,400-square-foot venue, designed by
Michael Hsu of Studio Red Architects, is
inspired by the original Ninfa's location and
includes black-and-white photos of founder
"Mama" Ninfa Laurenzo on the walls. The
restaurant seats around 280 guests total-
including 100 in covered patio areas-and
seats 50 guests in a private dining room.
(1700 Post Oak Blvd., ninfas.com)

activities

photoS: peter moliCK (firmSpACe), CourteSy of VenueS AnD SupplierS (All otherS)

photoS: CourteSy of true AnomAly Brewing Co., Jenn DunCAn (penny QuArter), the montroSe StuDioS (piCniCS in the City), DAniel ortiZ photogrAphy (BoSSCAt KitChen & liBAtionS)

Where to Grab Tex-Mex

1

out of the Blue
Fresh fare and good vibes abound at these seafood restaurants.
1751 Sea & Bar opened in the Heights in April
2019. Located in the space formerly known as Star
Fish, the seafood restaurant and gin bar is helmed
by restaurateur Michael Sambrooks. The venue's
name refers to the Gin Act of 1751, as the space
serves more than 100 types of gin. The food menu,
helmed by culinary director Lyle Bento and chef
J.D. Woodward, includes a seafood charcuterie
board, baked oyster, and uni pasta. The 1,500-squarefoot restaurant seats 120 guests and is available for
private events. (191 Heights Blvd., 1751houston.com)
1 Ouzo Bay, a Mediterranean seafood import
from Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group,
opened in the River Oaks District in July 2019.
Designed by Olvia Demetriou, the 7,000-squarefoot restaurant features a cream and blue color
scheme inspired by the coasts of Greece. Menu
items include a variety of freshly caught whole
fish, blue mussels, and Maine lobster pasta. The

Work It Out
Close the deal in style at these
spaces that can double as your
office for the day.

Any guest with a sweet tooth will love
Cypress Sweets (cypress-sweets.com), a
boutique candy shop that opened in April
2019 and hosts candy crafting parties.
Planners can choose from activities like
candy jewelry making, cookie painting,
and ice cream cookie sandwich decorating,
which can all be customized to fit specific
themes. And, of course, guests get to take
their sugary creations home. -a.G.

Strato 550, a downtown restaurant and conference center, opened on the 43rd floor of the
renovated 1415 Louisiana building in spring
2019. The venue, which is owned by hospitality and foodservice management firm Compass
Group, is open Monday through Friday and
offers a Mediterranean-inspired menu to cater to
Houston's power lunch crowd. Designed by Abel
Design Group, the 104-seat restaurant features a
gray and white color scheme and floor-to-ceiling
windows overlooking the city. The venue also has
meeting rooms and is available for private events.
(1415 Louisiana St., strato550.com)
1 Firmspace, a network of upscale
co-working spaces, opened its first Houston

restaurant has a number of options for gatherings:
the Olympus Room seats 30 for private events; the
Aphrodite Lounge seats 30 for semiprivate events;
the Athena Lounge holds 50 reception style for
semiprivate events; a covered terrace holds 30
reception style; and the Ares Lounge holds 75 for
semiprivate receptions. The venue opened alongside sister concept Loch Bar. (4444 Westheimer
Road, ouzobay.com)
Loch Bar, a speakeasy-inspired seafood
spot, opened next to Ouzo Bay in July 2019. The
5,000-square-foot eatery specializes in raw bar
items, shellfish towers, caviar, and dishes such
as crab cakes and fish and chips. The venue also
has an extensive whiskey list and serves crushes,
a Maryland cocktail import. For private events, the
bar holds 20 seated or 35 standing in a lounge,
and 20 seated or 35 standing at an outdoor patio.
(4444 Westheimer Road, lochbar.com)

location in April 2019. Located on the 10th and
11th floors of the B.B.V.A. Compass Plaza building, the venue spans 32,000 square feet, 10,000
of which is available for meetings and events.
Meeting rooms on the 11th floor can hold as
many as 200 people reception style. The lobby
and lounge space can also hold events for groups
of 100 to 150 people standing. The venue also is
available for private, after-hours events. (2200
Post Oak Blvd., firmspace.com)

1

bizbash.com 2020 bizbash best

71
http://www.ouzobay.com http://www.ninfas.com http://www.1751houston.com http://www.lochbar.com http://www.firmspace.com http://www.cypress-sweets.com http://www.strato550.com http://www.bizbash.com
BizBash Best 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BizBash Best 2020
